1932 Ford Highboy Roadster - Venomous Deuce

If you’re lucky, friendships can last a lifetime. Tom Schumacher was 43 years old when he first met Barry Lobeck. It was at the 1979 Hot Rod Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and Lobeck was cruising the fairgrounds in his iconic maroon Deuce roadster. Lobeck’s ’32 was making its national debut and, in effect, so was Lobeck. That car and that event helped set the wheels in motion that would make hot rodding a vocation as well as an avocation for Lobeck.

2/7Tom’s roadster sits right because Lobeck’s built the chassis—plain and simple. The wheelbase was extended, and the hood sides were made 2 inches longer than stock to compensate. Lobeck’s also painted the body its black hue, and the big, square window, 15- and 16-inch Real Wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber (275/65R16 and 155/80R15).

Over the years Tom would get to know Lobeck personally and, at different times, Tom turned to Lobeck’s V8 Shop for his chassis needs (Lobeck built the chassis for both Tom’s ’33 Ford sedan and his ’47 Ford convertible). Tom himself has been involved with rods in each of the decades since his and Lobeck’s first meeting, too, by being on the NSRA’s Safety Team since 1983, a state safety inspector from 1995-2005 and, since 2005, the Northern Ohio State Rep for the NSRA.

Living in Columbus and knowing Lobeck for so many years, it was only natural for Tom to enlist Lobeck’s crew again for his latest project: a 1932 Ford highboy roadster. But where Tom had bought a chassis and parts for his previous cars from Lobeck’s, this time around Tom wanted Lobeck’s team at Lobeck’s V8 Shop to build the entire car.

For Lobeck, when it came to hot rods, the first order of business has always been about a car’s stance. It’s nothing you can teach someone, but as soon as you round a corner and first lay eyes on a car, you know whether it sits right or not, and a Lobeck car always sat right. To achieve that, Lobeck’s would massage their Just A Hobby framerails to fit each car’s intended personality. For Tom’s ride, the wheelbase was lengthened, the rear section of the frame C’d, and the hood sides extended 2 inches. The grille shell was also chopped 1 inch so the drop of the cowl was even and in line from the laid-back and chopped windshield to the peak of the shell.

3/7Under the Bop Top folding top from Sid Chavers, the custom bench seat and tan leather upholstery job is the work of Portage Trim in Ravenna, OH. An American Autowire system was installed by Lobeck’s to run the Classic Instrument gauges, the Sony stereo system, and the rest of the car’s electrical needs. The steering wheel came from Lecarra, and the pedals and door handles were fabbed by Clayton Machine.

For suspension, Lobeck used a Ford 9-inch rear (3.89:1 Posi) with a set of Aldan coilover shocks. Up front a monoleaf spring, a Super Bell I-beam axle, hairpins, and another set of Aldans were used. Wilwood disc brakes are found on each corner, as are square-window Real wheels (15x5.5 and 16x8) wrapped in BFGoodrich hides, and a Flaming River box controls the steering.

Under the extended hood is what Tom likes to power all of his hot rods: a Ford V-8. His ’33 and his ’47 feature an injected 302- and 280-horse Lincoln Mark VI engine, and Tom wanted to use a Blue Oval product with this build, too. Taken from an ’01 Cobra Mustang, the 32-valve 280-inch modular motor is capable of 320 hp, and it’s backed to a Tremec five-speed trans, which is operated by Pro 5.0 shifter and equipped with a Cobra pressure plate and disc as well as an aluminum flywheel.

Lobeck’s completed all of the extra bodywork and fabrication at their shop in Cleveland before rolling the Brookville steel body into their paint booth for its multiple coats of black paint. Once satisfied with the results, the roadster made its way to Portage Trim (Ravenna, Ohio) for its interior. Using tan leather, Portage covered the Dynamat insulation with custom panels and a new bench seat. Six Classic Instruments gauges fill the flat Deuce dash, and the Sony-based stereo system is hidden from view.

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Last year, after the roadster was finished, it debuted at the Detroit Autorama, where it won STREET RODDER’s Best Ford in a Ford award. Soon after, Tom (at 74 years old) became an associate member of the L.A. Roadsters (Tom calls it a dream come true), and he can’t thank Lobeck enough for the car he created for him.

Sadly, Lobeck died in January and, while the world lost an icon, Tom lost a friend, but he says he’ll proudly drive his Lobeck-built roadster for a long time. So it’s true, you’re lucky if your friendships last a lifetime, but you’re really lucky when they’ll last even longer than that.